Visibility of eTwinning Projects Groups July 2019 Newsletter Newsletter 9 | Page 61

Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2019 Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wonderland - the collaborative world of little eTwinners by Irena Raykova, Cira Serio, Renata Večerková and Rangel Pantaleev The project “Wonderland” was run by the teachers Irena Raykova, Cira Serio, Renata Večerková and Rangel Pantaleev. We met each other in the eTwinning platform four years ago. Since then, we have run many successful eTwinning projects. The last one, “Think”, gained three national eTwinning awards and it was announced as “The eTwinning project of the year 2018” in Bulgaria. eTwinning helps us to grow as modern educators and offers the best learning environment for us and for our students. It gives us a better understanding of modern active teaching methods. We learnt how to design the tasks in order to develop high-level thinking skill, communication, collaboration and creativity. For us, eTwinning is one of the best and most natural ways of professional development. As we watch each other, our own eyes and minds are opened to new, different, and exciting ways to teach. Of course, this also means that if one teacher has a problem, or is looking for a better way to do something, then we support each other and suggest solutions together. This means that our collaboration benefits and enriches all members, and that it turn gives a richer experience to our students. Our latest project “Wonderland” is aimed at developing English language skills via Literature, Art and ICT. What is Wonderland? It is the land where people meet unusual creatures. They usually have extra powers. They could be humans with extra powers, look like humans or have strange features. They dwell in fairy tales and Wonderland is their homeland. As the project developed, eight doors opened to lead the children through the Wonderland. Each door was opened on a set date and introduced the challenges that children had to solve in the magical world of Wonderland. Wonderland has strengthened our friendship and the close collaboration that has been consolidated throughout all these years in which we work together in projects. Wonderland has allowed our students to improve their language skills and to grow as more confident speakers of English. The conscious use of the web, while respecting the privacy of all European citizens, is aimed at developing a democratic culture of life. Our first motto - born in our first project together - turned from "A friend is forever!” into “eTwinning forever!" Developed competences: Communication in foreign language: listening, speaking, understanding and writing skills. Students can: - introduce themselves; - talk about their likes and dislikes; - talk about e-Safety and netiquette rules: prohibitions and abilities - describe a hero: talk and write about: appearance, qualities and abilities, express personal point of view. Communication in mother language: storytelling skills, reading comprehension skills; Social and civic competences: skills to work in teams, respect other people point of view. Digital skills: e-Safety and Netiquette awareness, responsible use of the Internet, digital citizenship Students worked with the following online tools and applications: Google presentations, Google Forms, Padlet, AnswerGarden, My blue robot, Learning Apps, Quiver Vision, Elf yourself, ChatterPix, Twiddla, Popplet,Jigsaw Planet, QR codes. TwinSpace tools: chat, project diary, forums They learned to find, select and present the information. Cognitive skills: problem solving skills, remembering, analysing, evaluating, creating, decision-making Lifelong learning skills: concentration, ability to focus, remember, gather and connect the pieces of information. The 4Cs = Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration and Creativity. Emotional intelligence: Self-Awareness, Social Skills, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy. The First Door revealed the introductory task. Students created their avatars and introduced themselves on a padlet wall. They presented their country, flag and language. During the first video conference they added some more information about their town, school and sang their national anthems. Moreover, they tried to say a sentence in partner languages, which was really funny. The project focused on developing digital skills, too. Therefore, the Second Door aimed at e-Safety and netiquette. Students formulated the rules to follow and chatted about them with their partners. They also learnt about copyright and how to use safe search engines for kids. 61